Soot and spark collector



Oct. 18, 1955 J, STRUNSKY 2,720,851

SOOT AND SPARK COLLECTORv Filed April 8. 1952 JNVENTOR. a f ff JOSEPH smc/msm United States Patent Oce 2,720,851 Patented Oct. 18, 1955 SOOI AND SPARK COLLECTOR Joseph Strunsky, Bronx, N. Y. Application April 8, 1952, Serial No. 281,120 Claims. (Cl. 11G-119) This invention relates to a soot and spark catcher.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a soot and spark catcher for chimneys which may be installed on the top thereof as an attachement and which will collect soot and sparks leaving the chimney without interfering with the basic draft of the chimney.

It is another object of the invention to provide a soot and spark catcher for chimneys comprising a turnable member adapted by the wind to be directed to receive the wind and which is so constructed that the wind will cause the soot or sparks to be delivered beneath a shield of the said member to thereby interrupt the outward movement of the soot and sparks and at the same time allowing the main draft of smoke and gases to rise upwardly therethrough.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a soot and spark catcher for chimneys having the above objects in mind which is of simple construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install upon the chimney, has a minimum number of parts, compact, durable and ellicient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of the soot and spark catcher embodying the features of the present invention and mounted on the top of a chimney;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the catcher;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken generally on line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken generally on line 4 4 of Fig. l.

Referring now to the ligures, represents a base member having a depending skirt portion 11 and a horizontal ange portion 12. The skirt portion is adapted to lit the inner wall of the chimney and the horizontal ange portion 12 rests on the top of the chimney to support the base.

Rising upwardly and outwardly from the center portions of the base and from an annular opening 13 thereof is an annular inclined guide track 14 over which tapered rollers 15 may travel. The outer periphery of this track 14 has a guide ange 16 secured thereto by a plurality of screws 17 circumferentially spaced about the guide track 14. This annular member 16 has an inturned lip 18.

The tapered rollers 15 support an annular ring or carriage 19 having a tapered funnel shape member 20 secured thereto by rivet fasteners 21. The annular member 19 has a downwardly extending ange 22 adjacent its inner periphery and a similar downwardly extending flange 23 adjacent its outer periphery with a lip 24 underlying the lip 18 of the annular guard member 16. The upwardly and outwardly extending portion 14 is braced by bracket formations 25 integral with the horizontal portion 12 and the portion 14.

Extending upwardly from the funnel shape member is a square box formation 26 having one corner cut away both at the top and along two sides, as indicated at 27. The

recess is covered with a wire mesh 28 having side and top portions 29 and 30.

The top, upon being cut away has portions thereof which are rolled down to provide downwardly curved soot collecting and shield portions 31 and 32 under which the soot and heavy spark or ash particles are blown by air entering the corner recess 27 and through the wire mesh thereover as shown in Fig. 1. At the outer ends of the shield portions 31 and 32 are respectively vertically-extending shield portions 31 and 32 that cooperate therewith to collect soot and spark particles. Y

A vane 33 will keep the recess of the box portion 26 angled into the prevailing wind. This vane 33 is secured to the corner of the box portion opposite from the recessed corner and is secured thereto by angle plates 34 and 35 by welding or rivets or in any suitable and conventional manner. A

The sides of the wire mesh are fitted into a channel formation 36 and are secured therein by rivets 37. The channel formation 36 is formed by a double bending of the side portions of the box portion 26. Y

In operation the box portion 26 will be adjusted into the wind by the vane 33 and the annular member 19 will roll upon the inclined or tapered rollers 15 whereby to position the corner recess 27 of the box portion 26 so that it will face the wind. The wind on entering the wire mesh will force the heavy particles of smoke under the turned down portions 31 and 32 where they will be caught and collected and be dropped downwardly therefrom into the chimney and along the two sides thereof away from the main updraught of the chimney. The smoke is accordingly slightly deflected in its upward path and only suiciently to locate the soot and sparks under the shield portions. If the upward draught of the chimney is great, these particles may remain collected at the top of the box portion until the draught has subsided and thereafter they will drop into the chimney and come to rest in the bottom thereof.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A soot and spark collector for open top chimneys comprising a base member having an opening adapted to be secured to the top of the chimney for registry with the chimney ue opening, said base member having an annular track portion surrounding the opening, an annular carriage having a central opening concentric with and operable over the annular track portion for relative rotation with respect thereto and in registry with the opening in the base member, said annular carriage having an upwardly extending box having a bottom opening communicating with the opening in the base member, said box having open top and open side portions adjacent one upper corner, soot and ash collecting members curved inwardly and folded downwardly adjacent the opposite upper corner of the box whereby the wind upon entering the open top and open side portions will force the soot and spark particles under the downwardly folded collecting members, and vane means adjacent the said opposite corner for maintaining the carriage and the open portions of the box in the direction of the wind.

2. A soot and spark collector for open top chimneys comprising a base member having an opening adapted to be secured to the top of the chimney for registry with the chimney flue opening, said base member having an annular track portion surrounding the opening, an annular carriage having a central opening concentric with and operable over the annular track portion for relative rotation with respect thereto and in registry with the opening in the base member, said annular carriage having an upwardly extending box having a bottom opening communicating with the opening in the base member, said box having open top and open side portions adjacent one upper corner, soot and ash collecting members curved inwardly and foldeddownwardly adjacenttheropposite upper corner of the box whereby the wind upon-entering the open top and open side portions willforce the soot and spark particles under the downwardly folded collecting members, van'emeans adjacent the said opposite corner for maintaining the carriage and the open portions of the box in thedirection of the wind, and the base of the open side portions of the box being double bent Vto provide channel portions, a wire mesh extending yover the open side portions andthe open top of the box and seated in the said channel portions.

3. A soot and spark catcher for chimneys comprising a base frame member having a horizontal portion adapted to rest on the top of and in registry with the chimney opening and a depending skirt portion adapted to extend downwardly along the inner walls of the chimney, said base frame member having Van upwardly and outwardly Y inclined annular track portiorna concentric annular carriage having arcentral opening and communicating with the chimney opening and adapted to be relatively rotatable with the track portion of said base frame member and having an outwardly and upwardly inclined annular track portion, tapered rollers operable between the respective annular track portions, a funnel secured to the carriage annular member, said funnel having an upwardly extending square box portion having an open bottom communieating with the chimney opening and areas of the top and sidesof said box portion adjacent one upper corner being open, the top adjacent the opposite upper corner and adjacent the sides thereof being downwardly curved in- .wardly of the box portion to provide collecting shields, said areas being adapted to receive therwind whereby soot andrspark particles will be blown under the shields and collected and returned downwardly to the chimney, a wire mesh tted over said open areas of the box portion, and vane means extending from the said opposite corner of the box portion whereby the open areas will be maintained in the direction of the wind.

, i 4. A soot and sparkV catch for chimneys comprising a base frame member havinga horizontal portion adapted to rest on the top of and in registry with theV chimney opening and a depending skirt portion adapted to extend downwardly along the inner walls of the chimney, said base frame member having an upwardly and outwardly inclined annular Vtrack portion, a concentric annular carriage hav- 2 ing a central opening and communicating with the chimney Vopening and adapted to be relatively rotatable with the track portion of said base frame member and having an outwardly and upwardly inclined annular track portion, tapered rollers operable between the respective annular track portions, a funnel secured to the carriage annular member, said funnel having an upwardly extending square box portion having an open bottom'cornmuni-V cating with the chimney opening and areas of the top and sides of said box portion adjacent one upper corner being open, the top adjacent the opposite upper Vcorner and adjacent the sides thereof being downwardlyr curved inwardly of the box portion to provide collecting shields, said areas being adapted to receive the Wind whereby soot and spark particles will be` blown under the shields and collected and returned downwardly to the chimney, Va wire mesh fitted over said open areas of the box portion, vane means extending from the said opposite corner of the box portion whereby the open areas will be maintained in the direction of the wind, and the base of the open sides of saidbox portion being double bent to provide channel formations, the said wire mesh having its sideportions seated in the channel formations, and fastening elements securing the side` portions ofthe wire mesh the channel formations.

5.,A soot and spark collector for open top chimneys comprising a base member having an opening adapted to be secured'to the top of the chimney for registry with the chimney flue opening, said base member having an annular track portion surrounding the opening, an annular carriage having a central opening concentric with and operable over the annular track portion for relative rotation with respect thereto and in registry with the opening in the base member, said annular carriage havingan upwardly extending box having a bottom opening communicating with the opening in the base member, said box having open top and open side portions adjacent one upper corner, soot and ash collecting members curved inwardly and folded downwardly adjacent the opposite upper corner Y References Cited in the le of thiszpatent a UNITED STATES PATENTS 137,134 a AGibbs p Mar. 25, 1873 1,199,720 Torr 'Sept. 26, 1916 2,152,760 Gormley a Apr. 4, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Y,

25,967 Great Britain of 1905 

